Determination of interleukin 31 (IL-31) serum levels in allergic rhinitis patients

Background and objectivesIL-31 appears to be an important regulator of Th2 responses and was found to be present in patients with atopic dermatitis. This study was conducted to compare IL-31 serum levels in allergic rhinitis (AR) patients and normal controls and to determine IL-31 serum levels according to AR severity.Patients and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with AR patients who met the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) classification criteria for AR. Normal control subjects were recruited from local healthy people in HUSM. The severity of AR was assessed using ARIA. Five ml of blood were drawn from each subject. The serum samples were analyzed for IL-31 using ELISA kits.ResultsThe results showed that IL-31 serum level was higher in allergic rhinitis patients (mean (SD) 4107.70 (16961.51)) than in normal controls (2195.55 (9016.57)); however, this difference was not statistically significant, with a p value of 0.406 determined by an independent-T test. The results also showed no significant difference in IL-31 levels according to AR severity, with a p value of 0.245 determined by a Mann–Whitney test.ConclusionThere was no significant difference in IL-31 serum levels between normal controls and AR patients or between patients with different AR severities. Future studies with larger sample sizes should be performed.